Microsoft is finally releasing an update for its built-in Mail, Calendar and People apps. The Mail app will support organizational functions like flagging emails and creating folders. The Calendar app will get a new look and meeting scheduling support. And the People app will sport a new command bar to make it quicker for you to navigate through your contacts. The productivity apps are set to get these updates by Monday evening or Tuesday. And according to Microsoft, the update will make Mail, Calendar and People much more useful to Windows 8 and Windows RT users.
When Microsoft released Windows 8 in October, its core productivity apps lacked deep functionality and features. Mail couldn’t even compare with Outlook.com, let alone with the full-blown Outlook Office application. Calendar had the basic bones, but again, lacked functionality compared to the Outlook calendar. And People was more novelty app than something actually useful.
We listed updated productivity apps as one of our wish list items for Windows Blue, Microsoft’s upcoming version of Windows set to launch this summer. Thanks to today’s update, we won’t have to wait that long.
Here’s a detailed look at the updates.
Arguably the most important of the three apps, the Windows 8 Mail app will get more organizational tools. You will be able to filter your email accounts so they show only unread emails. You’ll also be able to create and delete folders directly in the Mail app — no more having to go into your individual accounts elsewhere to manage folders. And Mail now also supports flagging emails.
All of these are fairly minor updates, but ones that will prove incredibly useful in day-to-day email usage. The updated Mail app will also make it easier and faster to compose emails. When you start writing an email, the “To” line will show your most popular contacts. Email drafts that you’re working on will also show up at the top of your inbox, so you can locate your unfinished email much quicker.
Drafts in threads float to the top of your inbox so they’re easier to find. Image: Microsoft
Editing emails in Mail is a bit more painless, since the app will now work a lot better for copying and pasting content from other places like websites and Word docs. Mail will also have new editing tools for bullet point lists and hyperlinks.
Instead of having to download older emails into the Mail app, Microsoft says that you’ll be able to search for email on the server. Business Mail users will now be able to send and receive rights-managed emails. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s announcement said nothing of POP3 support for the new Mail, so that’s unlikely to happen.
Calendar
The bare-bones Calendar app is getting a new look, viewing option and scheduling support. Color bars replace color blocks in the new Calendar app, which design-wise should make your calendar entries easier to read. Microsoft has also added a “Work week” view, which will limit your calendar view to weekdays only.
The new Calendar. Image: Microsoft
The biggest update is the Calendar app’s new Scheduling Assistant feature. You’ll be able to choose between more recurring meeting options, send meeting invitations to people, and email all meeting attendees through the app.
People
The People app will get the least improvements of the three. The only improvements include the ability to post on your friends’ Facebook walls, the ability to filter through the “What’s New” section more quickly, and a new app commands bar, which you can bring up by swiping in from the top.
That’s probably not enough to get Windows 8 and Windows RT users to spend more time in the People app. But it is slowly becoming more useful, especially since Facebook still hasn’t made a native Windows 8/RT app.
